Steam bath attachment



y 1956 J. RUTKOWSKI 2,753, STEAM BATH ATTACHMENT Filed March 8, 1954 IN V EN TOR. bH/v P T/r0 WGK/ STEAM BATH ATTACHMENT John Rutkowski, North Madison, Ghio Application March 8, 1954, Serial No. 414,774 2 Claims. (Cl. 219-38) This invention relates to steam baths and more particularly to units which are capable of being used in conjunction with known types of shower cabinets for producing steam without danger of explosion or the like.

Although desirable characteristics of treatment by steam bathing are known, heretofore no simple, safe units for converting a shower cabinet to such use have been available.

Generally where any portable steam baths have been provided, the steam has been generated therein under pressure, which pressure, however small, has always been a source of possible danger, and of necessity required provision of suitable safety devices.

The present invention obviates any danger, because no pressure is required to either generate or convey the steam, and yet an ample supply of steam is provided in a simple unit which may be readily installed in or removed from a shower cabinet or the like, provision being made for accommodation of the user and simple operating control being a primary advantage.

It is therefore an object of this invention, to provide a unit whereby a conventional shower cabinet may be con verted to a steam bath by simple means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple steam generating unit which produces a suflicient quantity of steam, yet at the same time obviates hazards normally present in generating a comparable supply of steam.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the simple elements of the conversion unit in a manner whereby a seat for the user is provided, said seat serving also as a guard for the generating unit, and thus injury from direct contact with the steam or device by which the same is generated is avoided.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the specification appended hereto, and shown in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a Vertical sectional View taken through a conventional shower cabinet, being somewhat fragmentary, illustrating the general arrangement and location of the usual shower instrumentalities, together with the relationship thereto, of the conversion unit, and its manner of mounting.

Figure 2 is a similar fragmentary vertical elevational view taken at right angles to that of Figure 1, showing in somewhat further detail the various elements constituting this invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the steam generating device.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing the heating element as being mounted in the device and the water supply tube therefor.

As indicated primarily in Figures 1 and 2, a generally conventional shower cabinet denoted 1, is provided, the same being of the usual form including the side Walls 2 and 3 and the rear wall 4. The front of the cabinet is not shown, obviously, and the same may be equipped with a suitable door for enclosing the same in accordance with known practise.

atent iiiice In the side wall 3, the usual control device, comprising a valve unit 5, is shown as being suitably mounted, and adapted to control a known type of shower head unit indicated at 6. The control unit 5 is supplied by means of the supply line indicated at 7, there being two of such lines usually provided as will be readily understood.

The shower cabinet of this invention is also conventional and is equ'pped with a sloping bottom as at 8, eqtgipped in turn with a suitable drain generally shown at The conversion unit of this invention, noted 10, and includes a panel member 11, suitably fastened as by means of the nuts and bolts 12, to one of the walls of the cabinet, as for example the wall 4. The panel 11 is in turn provided with a seat 13, supported on suitable framework indicated at 14, which may be formed of pipe or the like. The frame 14 is fastened to the panel as by means of the U-bolt 15, the bracing portion 16 of the frame 14 being likewise fixed to the panel by similar U-bolts 17.

It will be apparent that the seat 13 may be a flat member of substantially rectangular configuration, and fastened also to the frame 14 as by means of U-bolts 18, the same being conventional and only generally illustrated.

Suitably mounted beneath the seat 13 is the steam generating unit generally designated 19, and somewhat more particularly shown in Figures 3 and 4. Unit 19 is comprised of a substantially rectilinear container 20, having the usual side and end walls therefor, one of the side walls 21 as shown in Figure 4 being provided with suitable openings 22 by means of which the container 20 may be fastened to the panel 10 as indicated in Figure 1.

The container 29 is preferably formed of metal so as to be water-tight, and is equipped with a cover 23 which is removable as will be understood, the cover 23 being in turn formed with any preferred number of perforation such as 24, for purposes which will be hereinafter set forth.

Within the container 20 and suitably fastened therewithin, is an electric immersion heater element 25, which may be of any conventional type, there being many of these immersion heating elements known today. The element 25 may be preferably mounted as by means of a block 26 atone end of the container 20, the usual electric supply wire cable being indicated at 27. The element 25 is mounted so as to be about centrally located with respect to the top and bottom of the container 20, and of course the block 26 is sealed in engagement with the end as will be obvious.

At the other end of the container 20 a suitable water supply tube 28 is shown, the same being suitably fastened to the end wall and adapted to provide for the supply of water into the interior of the container 20.

Reverting again to the Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the supply of electric energy as by means of the cable 27 is controlled by a switch 30 at the upper part of the panel, the switch 30 being in turn of suitable water-proof nature and of known construction, the said switch in turn being connected to a suitable source of supply as by means of the lead 31.

As shown in Figure 2, the water supply tube 28, likewise leads upwardly to the top portion of the panel 11, at which point a valve such as 32 is provided, having the usual handle control element 33 therefor. The valve in turn is connected as by means of a supply line 34, to the line 7 in any preferred manner Well within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

In using the device herein above specifically described, it should be noted that in actual practise it has been found that an immersion heating element such as 25 may be desirably of approximately 1500 watt capacity, and if mounted as shown in the container 20, water may be inis generally detrod'uc'ed through the supply line 28 so as to substantially fill the container. This of course will be done under the control of the valve 32, and subsequent shutting of the valve 32 will leave the container in approximately a full conditionas Will be understood. v

T hereafter theswitch 30 is operated so as to supply the current to the immersion heating element 25, which element will thereafter cause a heating of the Water in the container 20, In actual practise, it has been found that in using the heating element of approximately 1500 Watt capacity, sufiicient steam is generated in a relatively short time, to adequately fill the cabinet and maintain a supply ofsteam for a sufliciently great length of time to accomplish the purposes thereof. When the steam bath is completed, theswitch 30 may be operated to shut ofi the element 25, V s hereafter, if desired, additional Water may be introduced by means of the supply tube 28.

a As indicated, the arrangement of the generating unit 19, beneath the seat 13 and substantially confined thereby, Will prevent the same from coming into contact With the person using the cabinet, and yet the steam is provided ithin the cabinet for the purposes of usual steam bathing. Also, 'it will be understood that by "reason of the mounting and arrangement of the various elements above described, the "conversion unit generally indicated at 10 may be removed bodily from within the cabinet and installed in another "similar location. This is one of the primary features of the invention, since by reason of the arrangement provided hereby, presently existing shower cabinets may be converted into steam bathing units with a minimum of ex ense and rearrangement of the various parts thereof. It should also be clearly understood that the steam generated in the generating unit 19, is made available Without requiring any pressure to be confined and thus any danger from explosion or other possible similar circumstances is avoided.

I claim:

1. A unit for converting a shower cabinet into a steam bath comprising, a main support comprising a removable panel for attachment to a vertical interior wall of the cabinet, a steam generating device mounted on said panel, said device consisting of a container, water supply means for the container, and electric heating means in said container to heat water and generate steam, delivering the same into the said cabinet, a guard 'for said device mounted on the support above such device and extending outwardly over and beyond the same, and control instrumentalities for said Water supply and heating means.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guard for said device constitutes a seat, and the control instrumentalities are carried by the main support so as to be accessible from said seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,0l6,873 Dibble Feb. 6, 1912 1,956,394 Merna Apr. 24, 1934 2,156,361 Stout May 2, 1939 2,158,631 Schulte May 16, 1939 2,243,550 Carl May 27, 1941 

